About to Fall

On The Brink #2

by Ash Jackson

Genres: M M Romance, LGBT, Sports

355 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2026

About the author

Ash Jackson grew up just outside of Chicago’s Chinatown and now calls the suburbs home, where she lives with her high school sweetheart—now husband of over 16 years—and their three endlessly energetic boys. Ash is a lifelong storyteller and romantic at heart.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually baking things her kids won’t eat, knitting yet another scarf that she won’t wear, or binge watching six seasons of a show instead of committing to a three hour movie.

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first book in the series so I was hopeful this one would be just as good. I think it became my new favorite of the two.

I appreciated the mental health rep and thought it was handled well and with respect. Behind the golden prince persona, Nico is a mess. He is healing from an incident (I don’t want to spoil anything or trigger anyone so I will leave it at that) and getting over his heartbreak so walls are in full effect. Adrian comes in and gets through his defenses. Even more he SEES Nico when Nico feels invisible. Swoon. Not to say that Adrian is perfect. He has a less than stellar relationship with his parents. So they try for each other and meet each other where they are. The writing was great. I loved their story and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Thanks to BookSirens for the Arc to read and review.

[HappilyEverReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 Stars)
This was such a fun rivals-to-lovers, opposites-attract romance set in the competitive world of elite figure skating. We got a glimpse of Nico in About to Bloom, so I was excited to finally get his story and see his perspective on everything that happened with Theo.

My heart absolutely went out to Nico. He felt so fragile and overwhelmed, carrying the weight of impossible expectations while still grieving the end of his relationship with Theo. After his near overdose, it seemed like no one was really checking in to make sure he was okay, and watching him struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, and the relentless pressure of chasing an Olympic dream was heartbreaking.

Then there's Adrian—the tattooed, pierced bad boy of the skating world who loves pushing buttons and refuses to apologize for being himself. Underneath all that confidence, though, was such a caring and compassionate person. Adrian saw through Nico's anxiety and perfectionism and loved him for exactly who he was. I loved the way he challenged Nico, constantly nudging him outside of his comfort zone. It was his own unique way of flirting, and their banter was so much fun to watch.

The slow burn between these two was absolutely worth the wait. Adrian became the steady source of love and support that Nico desperately needed, and it was beautiful watching their relationship help them both heal. I especially loved how warmly Nico's family embraced Adrian, giving him the kind of acceptance and love he'd never experienced growing up in a cold, emotionally distant home.

One of my favorite moments was when Adrian stood up to their coach for Nico—I was completely swooning. Seeing someone finally fight for him gave Nico the courage to stop living for everyone else's expectations and start making choices for himself. It was such a satisfying moment of growth.
I also adored Sabrina and Kat. They were fantastic best friends and added so much warmth, humor, and heart to the story.

If you're looking for a slow-burn romance with lovable characters, emotional healing, and just the right amount of tension, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Tropes:
⛸️ Figure Skating Romance
❤️ Rivals to Lovers
🖤 Opposites Attract
🩹 Hurt/Comfort
🐢 Slow Burn
🤍 Emotional Healing
🫶 Found Family
💖 Supportive Love Interest
😌 Low Angst
🌈 MM Romance

[Lily S ☀️⛱️🐚🦀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous cover and story! I loved this so much! The first book in the series should be read first in my opinion. I liked that book but this one blew that one away! The character of Théo from the first book is in this one though and I think you’d be better reading his story first especially since it ties in with the same coach that Nico has plus him and Nico have a history.

This story is about Nicolas Fontaine and Adrian Zhao, two rival Canadian figure skaters trying to get to the Olympics. Nico is grace and beauty while Adrian is power and rebellion. They are both amazing skaters but are pitted against each other. Adrian loves antagonizing Nicky (as he calls him) and Nico is under so much pressure that he is envious of Adrian for doing what he wants while he himself stays in line for everyone around him.

Nico comes back after a month long stint to recover from an accidental overdose to discover that Adrian is now training under the same coach. Nico is so angry because his coach, who happens to also be his uncle, never gave him a heads up about this. The way these two low key were attracted to each other was so good! It’s hidden under Nico becoming flustered and Adrian being a pain in the butt to Nico on purpose. They were so cute though!

What I loved about this story is how Adrian understood Nico and let him be himself without pressuring him. No one else has done that for Nico and the relationship that grew from that was so special and beautiful. Nico falls apart often because of all the pressure he’s had put upon him and Adrian stands with him and up for him.

I loved the way the story was written and flowed. I had to wait until bedtime to read this because of life but if I could have I would’ve read this one so much faster. I thought about these characters when I was not reading about them and I’ve thought of them since! I really hope Cam, Adrian’s brother gets a book and I loved Bash, Adrian’s best friend too!

**I received an ARC for review
**All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh to have besties, like, Kat, Cam, Sabrina and Bash. Adrian Zhao and Nico Fontaine needed them desperately. As individuals growing up miles apart, one in Toronto, the other in Vancouver, both of them were under pressures imposed on them by family members, trainers, the Figure Skating ruling body and the fans expectations.

Adrian’s family are filthy rich, parents too busy with their own pursuits as individuals, they don’t devote much time, care or consideration to him apart from writing cheques to keep their conscience clear. He does everything he can to get attention, rebelling against them and all his critics. He is so in need of love, but he looks for it in the wrong places, one night stands and hookups. Cam is his older stepbrother and Bash is his best friend. When Adrian’s coach retires suddenly he moves to Toronto where Cam, a musician and recording artist, offers him a home. His new coach Jean Pierre Renaud will prepare him for the next Olympics.

I received an ARC copy of ‘About to Fall’ and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Jean Pierre Renaud also coaches his sister’s son Nico Fontaine. Nico has always been a big rival for Adrian but he is under so much pressure from his Uncle Jean that he struggles big time. Known as Canada’s Golden Prince, he has been No.1 for a long time. Following a serious breakdown after his boyfriend left him and moved away, Nico crashes under the pressures. It is while he is in recovery for a month, that Adrian joins the Olympic hopefuls being coached by his uncle. No one told him about this and consequently both Nico and Adrian start out on the wrong foot. More pressure piling on Nico because Adrian Zhao is also a brilliant skater, and another contender for the 3 places at the Olympics.

Nico didn’t realise that Adrian’s rebel attitude, and comments were really rubbing off on him and was helping him skate much better. But he is also stubborn and Adrian is starting to get to him. It doesn’t take long before he explodes and says something to Adrian, who, being the rebel he is, quickly obliges him. Whoa!!!!

I couldn’t help but wonder where Adrian had found all that love and care he devoted so wholeheartedly to Nico when he hit yet another bad patch. Where had he learned that? I loved how he was so fearless and brave in facing up to Coach on behalf of Nico and also how he bloomed under the love shown him by Nico’s family, especially little Margaux.

I was happy at the way the author concluded this story in a way that there was no losers. I’d read the first book in this series a while ago and liked it a lot which focused on Theo who also shows up here in About to Fall. There were some other characters that featured there, Hana and Avery, that I hoped would get their own story. I hope author Ash Jackson has more of this series lined up.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first foray into figure skating romance, and I loved it. It was interesting to get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a professional figure skater—the pressure, the constant training and conditioning, the competition. It’s the perfect backdrop for Nico and Adrian’s romance.

At first it seems like rival skaters Nico and Adrian are complete opposites, in life and in the skating world. Nico is the golden prince who has a legacy to uphold, and Adrian is the bad boy who breaks the rules. But as they get to know each other, readers get to see more facets to their personalities. Nico feels things deeply and puts everyone else before himself. And under Adrian’s bad boy persona is someone who cares about others very deeply.

Their relationship gives them both a place to grow and thrive. Adrian helps Nico learn that it’s okay to ask for what you want and to take up space. Adrian sometimes acts as Nico’s protector, and he makes Nico feel seen when Nico feels invisible.

“Then Nico’s shoulders dropped. Just slightly. And he leaned into me—not a collapse but a quiet shift of weight that said I’m tired of holding this alone.”

Nico gives Adrian stability and acceptance. He also helps Adrian have a sense of family, which is something that Adrian is lacking.

Overall, this is a beautifully written book.

* Figure skating drama
* Hurt/comfort
* Rivals to lovers
* Mental health rep
* Vers MCs

[Juliette Harden · Rating 5 out of 5]

EARLY READER ARC REVIEW
✨Rating: 5 ⭐'s
🫧Vibes: MM Romance 🩷, Figure Skating ⛸️, Competition 🥇, Mental Health

Would I recommend: YES, for ADRIAN, because everyone needs to read about this man😍

💭Thoughts: What can I say other than that I absolutely LOVED Adrian. Don't get me wrong I really like Nico as well.....BUT Adrian was everything. I loved how he could read Nico and see what he needed at all times. How he stepped up for him when no one else was. How he pushed the boundaries with his coach because he wanted what was best for Nico. I also loved their love story and how it unfolded.

I'm glad Nico started to get out of his people pleasing habits he had. I wanted him a few times to give his uncle/coach the middle finger. The fact that these two characters were polar opposite in every way and fell into such an easy love was inspiring.

I wish these kinds of books never ended because I want to know every detail down to them turning old together and living out their love story!

ALSO.....I NEED TO KNOW WHO WINS GOLD AT THE END OF THIS BOOK 👀!

[Sandy Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounding up because I was sucked in and kept reading.

Strong rivals to lovers plot, featuring male figure skaters pitted against one another by one’s jealousy and the other’s coach.

Adrian first noticed the fairytale-prince-like Nico in juniors, when Nico beat him for the gold medal and Adrian took down the smug boy’s condescending congratulations on the podium with a few nasty words. Ever since then, Adrian has been consumed with winning, especially with placing over Nico.

Nico…just won the US National Championship. Now Adrian’s goal is to take him down at the upcoming Olympics.

When Nico returns to training after a mental breakdown and rest, and walks into his training facility finally ready to get back to work only to see his rival Adrian there as his former-champion-skater uncle and coach’s newest athlete, Nico freaks out. Nico lives with anxiety, with being his own worst critic, and with his uncle’s coaching method of never sparing the harsh criticism and treating Nico like a machine. Now his uncle has brought the rebellious, uniquely himself, brash Adrian there and pitted them against each other to bring out the best in them both. So he says.

Nico knows this is his uncle’s way of hedging his bets. Adrian’s ex-boyfriend (Theo, from the previous book, which I have not read), part of the reason for Nico’s breakdown, left his uncle and is training elsewhere, and this is his uncle’s way of warning Nico he’s replaceable if he doesn’t get his act together.

The tension between Nico and Adrian sings, and the skating is authentic and powerful to “watch” on page. I enjoyed that authenticity and the insight into competitive skating’s tough and relentless inner world. I appreciated the dual points of view too, that was the perfect way to tell this story.

What I didn’t love is Adrian. He’s a fuck boy who hooks up with any and everyone, and Nico feels interchangeable with everyone else at first. Just another body to him. He vapes and gets wasted (personal choice, but, that drives me nuts when you then expect me to believe he’s an Olympic level athlete). He’s a bully who revels in finding things that needle Nico and then using them to shake and hurt him, without any remorse. He has no idea who Nico is, or what he just went through; he just sees him as a privileged white prince who needs to be taken down a peg or several, and acts like it’s his job to do it, setting off Nico’s anxiety, getting to him mentally…I didn’t like Adrian at all. Sure, Nico should have had the mental acuity to overcome that. But the constant toxicity of Adrian’s relentless bullying—and it was bullying, with mean, hateful intent at first, not friendly rivalry ribbing gone wrong—was hard to take.

Yes, he learns just how wrong he was about Nico and then apologizes and supports him. But that didn’t change that fact that he is a bully and acted that way toward someone he didn’t know. It was hard for me to get past. And I was not rooting for the explosion into hate-fucking either, which many will find hot, because it felt like Nico was giving in to Adrian’s bullying as much as the UST instead of standing up for himself. I wanted him to tell Adrian to fuck off, not fuck him. And there was a lot of “Oh, he’s touched so many people just like this” that squicked me out during their first time together. It’s beautifully written, but, I was bumped out of the scene too many times to enjoy it.

Once they cleared the air and Adrian stopped his crap and realized he’d been wrong, the romance improved exponentially and I came around and truly enjoyed much of it, but, Adrian’s actions and poor attitude about his training had me scowling.

I did appreciate his Alyssa Liu–like attitude about nonconformity, wearing clothes and skating costumes that made him feel great about himself, screw the traditional-minded judges—that should be for everyone. Kudos for that!

Once Adrian got his head out of his ass, the romance took off, and I got into their connection. I also enjoyed Adrian’s relationship with his half-brother (backstory for Adrian…he’s a poor little ignored rich boy whose mother gave up love for wealth, leaving his older half-brother behind as a kid. What a bitch). And Adrian’s best friend whose name now escapes me was a lot of fun (a snowboarder).

Nico’s parents are supportive, but, I wonder at them not realizing how toxic his uncle’s coaching really was. Nico hid it, or didn’t realize it for too long, but still. C’mon, parents! Get involved!

Me being Me, I hated Nico’s ex Theo becoming a friend. Theo felt entitled to know what was going on with Nico and was inappropriately nosy about him and Adrian under the mantle of “caring about him” 🤮. I also hated Nico running into his rebound fuck-buddy Julian too. But. I DID love Adrian becoming hella jealous around Theo! That was great use of and ex for OM drama, and had me laughing and kicking my feet. (But, ugh, later we have to be friends with the ex. Never my thing. Can we just…not?! 😁)

I did appreciate Nico and Theo having a chance to resolve their relationship's harsh ending. Ultimately, they were mature. (See, I can be mature! 😂) I’m sure Theo is a good guy in his own book, much as it seemed he let Nico down here.

I had a love-hate relationship with Nico’s friend and fellow training mate Sabrina. She was so insensitive to Nico’s anxiety and hurt around Adrian at first, and that felt off and shitty of her. But she was also a good friend, and supportive of them later. So. I guess it evened out.

I was not a fan of the way the rivalry and competition was resolved though. Felt like a cop-out. Maybe it made sense for the character’s mental health in the end, but, it also kind of felt like giving up rather than a good resolution. I don’t know. I was left torn and unsatisfied. Most people will approve though.

Overall, the romantic tension was so strong, as was the writing voice and style, that I couldn’t rate this down and kept 4 stars. I was immersed, even when I was ranting at Adrian in my head, and I didn’t want to put it down.

HEA. Rivals to lovers, figure skating. Felt like a bully romance for a while. No OM action; OM drama due to past lovers, but not cliche. Safe for me. Recommended.

My thanks to BookSirens for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.

[ShePetty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nico and Adrian

“Then I traced the script along his collarbone with my mouth—the tattoo I'd been staring at for months, the one that peeked out from his training shirts and his competition costumes, the one I'd traced with my fingers in Osaka in the dark.

Fall seven times, get up eight.

This time I traced it with my tongue and the sound he made went straight to my already leaking and aching c*ck.”


About to Fall was a great follow up to About to Bloom which featured Mathéo. Book one focused on Théo’s break from the competitive world of men’s figure skating and his eventual hard-earned come-back.

Book two, About to Fall, tells the story of fellow figure skaters, Nico and Adrian, as they move from rivals to lovers.

Nico has spent his entire life trying to be perfect and live out the dream of becoming an Olympic gold medalist like his uncle, Coach Renaud. Nico has perfected doing and saying all the fight things for the reporters and cameras and the interviews. He’s become the best people pleaser, learning early on that his feelings and needs didn’t matter. This works until it doesn’t, and eventually he can’t keep up with it and breaks down. After a month in inpatient psychiatric treatment, he returns to skating only to find his uncle/coach has started coaching his biggest rival, Adrian Zhao and didn’t even have the courtesy to tell him.

Adrian and Nico start out as rivals. The top 3 Canadian men’s skaters are Nico, Théo and Adrian, and Nico and Adrian seem to be polar opposites. Where Nico likes structure and order and discipline, Adrian is rebellious and impulsive and thrives in chaos. While Nico is has perfect posture, obsessively counts his macros, and is called Canada’s Golden Boy, Adrian is called the Rebel, has pink hair, tattoos, lip piercings, and vapes outside the rink before practice.

What I loved most about this book wasn’t just that they fell in love, but how they gave eachother the space and courage to be the best versions of themselves. Adrian began to show Nico his feelings were valid and important, and that it was OK to think about himself and what he needed. Nico was able to show fvckboy Adrian, who prided himself on never having been on a third date, that love and intimacy might be something he wanted and could have if he was willing to put in the work.

I really think Adrian is one of my favorite characters. He’s visually interesting. He’s emotionally complex. He’s very honest. And the way he is so observant and protective of Nicky, is so endearing because we realize through Adrian that Nico has never had anyone standup for him before. He’s never had a protector until now.

Even though it’s a slow burn, the chemistry between Nico and Adrian is evident from the beginning and what I loved most is that they didn’t always play the roles you expect. I thought I knew how their dynamic would play out in the spicy scenes but Ash Jackson had surprises.

One of my favorite scenes is when Nico takes charge, and it was so hot to see him flip things around. We get to see our flirty, dominant, take-charge, tattooed, rebel becoming completely wrecked and needy.

Ash also gives us some great side characters who I hope we get to see more of in upcoming books. We have Kat, Nico‘s childhood best friend who’s a bad ass ballerina, and would fight anyone she thought was trying to hurt our sweet baby Nico. We have Cam, Adrian‘s older half-brother, who he lives with in Toronto. Even though Cam is gone to LA making music most of the time he’s really one of only two people who seems to care much about Adrian. The other being Bash, Adrian‘s best friend and fellow Winter sport athlete. Even though Bash family Adrian knows he can rely on him. We also get to see sassy redheaded Sabrina again. We met her in book one. She is Théo’s best friend, loves to dance and can drink any of them under the table.

This was an all around fun, good time.
Rivals to lovers
Mental health rep
Verse
Found family
Hurt/comfort

Highly recommend.

[Jine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this in one setting and it was phenomenal! I really didn’t think I would like them as much as Derek and Theo but I was so wrong! Adrian and Nicky have my heart! Both broken boys who need the other to be held together!
So they start off as rivals Nicky is the golden prince and Adrian is the rebel the rich boy! While Nicky was in recovery his uncle his coach brought Adrian in his arena which was a real shit move to do but it’s his coach so it’s not surprising
They start off on the regular bad foot and avoid each other as much as possible but when Sabrina invites Adrian to a party for Nicky things start to change! Nicky is the dd so he brings Adrian home but he can’t remember his address so he brings him to his apartment one thing that made me laugh was when Nicky said stay and Adrian woofed LOL and he made the confession of how he thought Nicky was beautiful! Things changed in Japan they were rooming together and Adrian saw Theo and immediately knew him and Nicky were exes they started things off physical and both didn’t know how to deal with that at all!
One of the things I loved the most was how Adrian just let Nicky be once Nicky could let those walls down Adrian was his protector! How he stood up to his uncle BOTH times was phenomenal like he just laid it straight out and he didn’t care who listened
I love that Adrian the one who’s never ever had a relationship is the one who tells Nicky he wants this to be more than in hotel rooms that they both want to try!
Adrian’s parents were truly a piece of work I’m happy he had his half brother cam because they were terrible! When Nicky asked him to go to Christmas I was relieved because he wouldn’t be alone and Nicky’s family instantly loved his especially margeuax! But the bracelet! And the necklace! Oh my god Adrian had the only key to the bracelet like
Come on are you kidding me?!
Their I love yous was my favourite part of all because it wasn’t the typical kind of thing Nicky was panicking because 5 people were trying out for the Olympic team him Adrian Theo and 2 more and he was freaking out wondering if they would make it so Adrian grounded him talked him through the panic and Nicky blurted out that he loved him and was about to take it back and Adrian said don’t you dare and then their confessions of how they felt about each other!!
Nicky faltered at the trials and spiraled and Adrian was right there his support and when Nicky finally realized he didn’t want this anymore Adrian was the one who went and told off the coach in spectacular fashion and when he suggested that Nicky’s focus was off because of Adrian he fired back that the coach had been compromising Nicky’s performance for 15 years but he was just the first person to notice!
This whole book was something else it was emotional but we got plenty and I mean plenty of spice! We got verse scenes and Nicky got a special Christmas present before he went to dinner which was hilarious to see Adrian squirm!
I love how the coach finally finally got his behaviour shown to everyone and how Sabrina and Adrian still got to go to the olympics but that kiss after Adrian skated at the end was absolutely everything

[Tiff Reads and Rambles · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, I had the great pleasure of beta reading this book, and I am obsessed. About to Fall is the second book in the On the Brink series (after About to Bloom). Listen, if you've seen me on TT or Insta, you already know About to Bloom is a fave of mine, so beta reading this gem was a no brainer. I have been in a horrific reading slump and needed something to recalibrate my mind - Ash Jackson to the rescue.

This story follows Nico (Theo's former love interest from book 1) and Adrian. Nico is a perfectionist; Adrian is a rebel. Adrian starts training at Nico's rink - Nico's uncle, Renaud, is their coach. Both Adrian and Nico are in pursuit of Olympic gold.

The story starts off with Nico and Adrian as rivals, both vying for the same prize, and even though there is clear chemistry between the two, both MCs avoid it....until avoidance becomes impossible. Nico is straight-laced; Adrian does everything to get under Nico's skin. Thus a beautifully tense and angsty love story is born. Throughout the story, Adrian continues to peel back Nico's layers until Nico is comfortable being himself. Nico provides Adrian with a family, something he's never truly had.

I sympathized with Nico so hard. He is a people pleaser, always putting others first while trying to maintain a perfect image, and Adrian spotted these traits right away. Even though Adrian was a little sh1t at times (so funny), over time, Adrian earned Nico's trust. Through shared hotel rooms (my fave) and forced proximity, these two become dependent on each other (in a very healthy way). They watch anime together, share earbuds on flights and spend holidays together. This book took two people and made them best friends and eventually lovers.

Adrian is commitment averse; Nico is co-dependent, and what you witness while reading is two people healing from past trauma together. This is an interconnected standalone in the series, and while you don't need to read book 1, you should because it's amazing. You also get crumbs of Theo in this book, and I was so happy to be reunited with him. Oh, I almost forgot, the way Ash Jackson ended this book was pure perfection. You are left not knowing a thing but feeling completely and utterly satisfied with that.

This book was such a fun read with enough angst and spice. I have a passion for figure skating, so these books really work for me. Ash Jackson's writing also just works for me. Ash, if you are seeing this, please give me the next book ASAP. I will be in a continuous slump until then. I will be your beta reader for life, if you'll have me.

[Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all!!! Do not sleep on Ash Jackson! She is such an amazing author! I read the first book in her On the Brink series on a total whim. I saw an ARC opportunity and a cute cover, and thought, “Sure, why not?” When I tell you I was absolutely blown away, I MEAN IT! So when I heard the news that she was releasing another book in this world, I sprinted to her website!

About to Fall follows Nicolas Fontaine (Nico/Nicky) and Adrian Zhao, two elite figure skaters who have been competing against each other for years. Nicolas has built his career around being controlled and dependable, while Adrian has always been more willing to do things his own way. When Adrian moves to Toronto to train, the two find themselves sharing the ice, and the tension between them starts to shift in a very unexpected direction.

Nico was so personally relatable to me. He’s guarded, carefully composed, and seemingly always wearing a smile, but underneath that composure is someone who has spent years making himself smaller so he doesn’t become one more thing for the people around him to worry about. He’s exhausted from living according to everyone else’s expectations, and he barely knows how to let anyone take care of him.

Adrian is almost his complete opposite. He’s bold, unapologetic, and values authenticity over niceness. What I loved most about them is that Adrian never tries to make Nico less complicated or more manageable. He makes him feel like he is allowed to be angry, messy, uncertain, and imperfect. He makes Nico feel like he is allowed to take up space.

Nico, in turn, gives Adrian something just as important: a family. While Nico’s parents and sister are incredibly loving and supportive, Adrian has never had that same kind of unconditional support from his own family. Watching Nico’s family welcome Adrian so completely was one of my favorite parts of the book.

What they share is not a rescue, but a quiet kind of permission. Neither of them rescues the other. They simply give each other the space to become more fully themselves. Nico gains the confidence to figure out what he actually wants from his life, while Adrian gets the family and unconditional love he’s been missing.

Ultimately, this becomes a story about Nico the person becoming more important than Nico the skater. It is about learning that falling apart doesn't make you a failure, and that being cared for doesn't make you weak. He gets to be Nico. Just Nico.

Adrian also comes to know what it feels like to be surrounded by love, romantic and familial alike, that is pure and true, not transactional or shallow.

I loved this one. ❤️

[Michelle Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG - I LOVED this so much! I'm so grateful to have received an ARC of this, because I'm not sure I could have waited longer to read it! I stumbled on to Ash's work a few weeks ago - DEF go check out About to Bloom, while you don't need to read it before this one - it does the set up and we meet our MMC Nico in that story and I was dying to see him get his HEA. Our other MMC is Adrian - both men are figure skaters and basically rivals within the Team Canada skating world. I loved this opposites attract storyline. Nico is the golden boy, people pleaser, great family (who are amazing in this story) and Adrian is the guy who pushes the boundaries of the skating world, doesn't have to F's to give about many other people and his parents really suck (but his brother and best friend are great). Nico is just coming back to the ice after time away (no spoilers from me here, but if you've read About to Bloom you know...) and he finds his coach/uncle has brought his biggest rival - Adrian to his ice. Adrian really pushes Nico - in the beginning just because he can, but he really starts to SEE Nico and as they have their hot moment of hate smex - why he pushes Nico really changes. Nico, through therapy, has started to think about pushing past all the expectations and with Nico- he starts to peel back the layers that have hurt him and starts to step out into his own. I'm not normally one for angst - but in this story it played out so well. Watching the two of them grow - together and individually - was perfection. I love figure skating and Ash did an amazing job of letting us feel what it might be like on the inside. Again, her attention to detail is amazing - it just adds layers to the story without being too much. The spice is SO GOOD - but also it fits and flows with the story. In the end - we see Adrian step up for Nico and really take care of him. The secondary characters are PERFECTION - Ash - I NEED NEED NEED Bash and Cam to fall for some of those Chicago Frost hocky boys and I need that book ASAP!!!

[Nicola Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nico and Adrian......the most unlikely duo.

Ever since finishing the first book (About to bloom) I have been yearning for this one...I'm not joking, whatever Ash puts into these books is highly addictive.

Nico is highly strung and so self sufficient that he doesn't realise how bad his mental health has gotten, he is the typical care giver and has always put himself last. I love how Ash has went into detail about this because care giver burn out is a very real thing.

Adrian is like a bull in a China shop, the complete opposite of Nico, he has taken care of himself his whole life, he lives life without care, I love his attitude.

Put both of them together.......and WHAM!!!
There wouldn't be enough fireworks to describe their relationship.

If you haven't read book one then I really do encourage to read it first, characters from it play a huge part as to how Nico has become who he has. He can be a tad infuriating at the beginning, but once you read more you will understand the $hit that he been through and his attitude is rightly deserved, he's my beautiful wee Prince and I'd fight for him anytime.

Adrian is what Nico needs and I adore them, absolutely 110% in love with them. They are eachothers sun and moon.

I can't even count how many times I cried reading this, I fell asleep at 2am with 10% to go. The very min I woke up i grabbed a cuppa and dove right back in.

Ash has a very special way of wording and writing books, I'm obsessed lol.
Thankyou for letting me ARC read this and your first book, it means a lot and you are such a beautiful person & writer.

I cannot wait for this to be released, then everyone can read and go through every emotion under the sun whilst learning and loving our beautiful Nico and Adrian.

[Mrss_yoshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it had me hooked from the beginning.
Adrian and Nicky, so different but also so alike .
Nicky was a tortured unhappy soul, Adrian was confident, cocky and knew exactly what he wanted, and that so happened to be Nicky and obviously a gold medal.
Both boys were so lovable for different reasons, I loved how Adrian pushed Nicky until he caved, how he was always just there, never judging and I loved Nicky for caring, but also for finally realising what he needed and wanted.
The spice was aplenty , I especially loved the first time they roomed together and the 'Sweet dreams Nicky' , so naughty but oh so funny too, that was when Nicky realised he was in trouble and what this led to was the inevitable 'Fuck it' moment, but then Nicky ran, I understand why but I couldn't help but feel a bit angry at him for leaving Adrian like that, but he came back, they couldn't stay away from each other.
It was so sweet to see them both opening up to each other, Nicky about his past relationships and the stress of competing and Adrian about his family and never feeling quite good enough for them.I loved Cam though and would love to see him in a book.
When Adrian gave Nicky the bracelet at Christmas, that bought a few tears to my eyes, and I'm sure his present to Nicky gave him a few tears too 🤣 ( if you've read it you'll know).
That ending though and the kiss, I would also like to add that I didn't like Theo much, I don't know what it was about him but I just couldn't with him, so I was very pleased with how Adrian was with him.
I will definitely be reading more by this author and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

[ash | society of plots · Rating 5 out of 5]

─── 📖✒️⭐️

Review of Advance Readers Copy received by Author>

This is my first read by this author but it definitely will not be my last. Ash’s writing is so beautiful that it had me up until three o’clock in the morning reading the first two hundred pages and I do not regret it at all.

In About to Fall we meet Nico, Canada’s golden boy of figuring skating. He carries the weight of a generational legacy, a messy breakup and a pressure so strong it nearly toppled him. And Adrian, figure skatings bad boy with his flashy style and in your face confidence that craves the love of a family.

When these two meet it is fiery. The push and pull, the yearning, the anger, it all builds until it turns into so much more. Adrian becomes Nico’s beacon of hope, someone he can rely on who loves him for who he is, not who he pretends to be. And Nico shows Adrian what it’s like to have a family that loves him. The journey between Adrian and Nico isn’t easy, it’s messy and difficult but the way they work through things together, and heal parts of themselves is just beautiful and magical.

I truly love this book and these characters, and I’m so thankful to the author for letting me ARC read this story. Now, if you don’t mind i’ll be on my way to read everything I can from this author.

edit : I also wanted to add that as an Ottawa girlie, this book was almost nostalgic in a way, it made me smile with all the Ontario specific references. fyi, Ottawa is NOT boring! …. okay fine, maybe a little.

[Ellie]

Ok so I was getting ads all over Facebook for this book and I was like “A queer figure skating romance… hell yesssss, sign me up!” I went and snagged an ARC copy right away and I ate it up. Read it in 2 days (during a very busy time might I add) because I didn’t want to put it down.

I was absolutely loving it 60% in and I was like, I must know more about this author! How can someone who writes such a good book not have any kind of following?! And that’s when I started digging. This is going to be this authors 6th book published in a year. Not impossible, but still a red flag. There is also almost no social media/online presence. So I started looking at Goodreads reviews and, as I feared, several mentioned AI.

I absolutely HATE that this is how I need to approach a new author. Questioning whether they even wrote their book or used AI… it’s effing depressing. I want to support indie authors but I absolutely do not want to support any kind of AI use. And I’m not an AI expert, so how do I even navigate that?!😭

At the end of the day, I really enjoyed this book. And if the author wrote it, she’s someone I would support and read more of. But there are enough red flags that have me worried and until I know for sure I can’t give this book a good rating and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

“Promise me when you feel like the walls are closing in,” he said, “you'll come find me. Two in the morning, three in the morning, I don't care. You come find me and I will hold you until it passes. Every time. For as long as it takes.”

I preferred this book over book one. It was cleaner and the repetition wasn’t there. The author had perfected all those little niggly bits that had reduced book one’s score.

Ah, these two were so lovely. Adrian was brash and it suited him. He brought out the best in Nico and it was gorgeous to read how he made Nico feel like he was worth more than his skating ability.

All the little bits left over from the first book tied in nicely and there was a good enough resolution to the poor coaching and pressure that Theo and Nico were under, which caused both of their fallouts.

Adrian was a bit of a cock at the beginning. However, once he learned about Nico, it sobered him and he changed tactics and became a protector rather than another person who wanted to see him fall.

There were some gorgeous points in the story and I loved how the emotions played out on the page.

The ending was naughty though! 😆
………………………………………………..

I got an ARC from BookSirens , and this is my honest review.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Theo and Derek in the first book, so I was really interested in Nico's side of the story. It was kinda funny Adrian was so against Theo and it makes sense how he viewed the situation from the outside, so it was interesting to see that perspective after getting to know and love Theo. But man, I really felt for Nicky reading this and was so glad we got his story. The poor kid was under so much pressure and he threw himself back into things before he was ready just to please other people and that is never going to go well. Adrian was the perfect fit for him; he got him to open up and let loose and really, encouraged him to be who he was and stop worrying about how others saw him. And Adrian "let me just needle this kid to get a rise out of him just for shits and giggle" Zhao... like please sir, you are whipped! Risking it all for the golden prince...as he should! I loved all the side characters too and of course, seeing Theo again! So glad they all got their happy ending.

[Alexa Mishkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this story! Nico and Adrian were such a perfect match. On the ice, they’re pitted against each other as rivals, and Adrian absolutely LOVES getting under Nico’s skin. Their banter and competitive dynamic were so much fun, but I especially loved how incredibly healthy their relationship was.

This story deals with mental illness, the pressure of performing at an Olympic level, and the impossible expectations you can put on yourself when you’re constantly striving to be the best. Nico really struggles with that pressure, and Adrian was the perfect person to help alleviate some of that weight without ever diminishing Nico’s goals or ambitions.

They genuinely pushed each other to be better, while still giving each other the space and support they needed. Adrian was SUCH a green flag! I loved how supportive and understanding he was.

They both were exactly what the other person needed.

[CatOnABlueBackground · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very intense romance between 2 figure skaters.

Nico and Adrian have been rivals since forever. One's a rich boy rebel with disinterested parents. The other's got an uncle/now coach who excelled in figure skating, and some very nice parents. When Nico takes a few too many sleeping pills (he was just trying to SLEEP and the pills weren't working) he gets sent to a facility to 'rest' for a month. When he gets back, his uncle (& coach) has taken on Adrian to coach as well. Adrian is the first one to actually see how much pressure Nico is under, how poorly he's handling it, and how much of a problem the coach/uncle is.

This book is about the overwhelming stress these athletes are under, and how they do (or don't) handle it.

Medium spice - Adrian and Nico get their HEA in the end. It's rivals to lovers - rivals until they actually get to KNOW each other.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely phenomenal. These two will hold a special place in my heart. The angst was low but the tension was high, especially at the start. I could feel the love Nick and Adrian felt for each other through the pages. The mental health representation was so painful but so incredibly real. I cried tears of anger, joy, sadness, and heartbreak while reading this but the ending made it so worth it. This book left a lasting impression and I will absolutely be recommending it to anyone who will listen. Words can’t truly describe how much this booked made an impact on me and just how relatable it all was.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Moni · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘About to Fall’ is the 2nd book in Ash’s On the Brink sports romance series, following ‘About to Bloom’ (which I also highly recommend!). As I always say, in the sea of baseball, football, and hockey books, it is refreshing and exciting to read about another sport. As much as I like figure skating, I really didn’t have any idea just how much (physical and mental) training goes into looking this effortless on ice. I learned so much from Nicolas and Adrian’s story, both about the sport itself and about how struggling with mental health issues can be hidden deep beneath someone’s seemingly perfect life. Adrian is one of the coolest characters I’ve read, unapologetically himself and the perfect opposite of golden ‘prince’ Nico. Adrian pushes Nico’s ‘buttons’ like nobody else … and somehow, in the process of pi$$ing him off, he finds that underneath all that golden shine, the cracks are showing. They were drawn to each other, and I LOVED all that ‘cannot stay away, consequences be damned’ energy. Ash is great at creating romance (and spice); I could feel their chemistry. Each side character has a purpose (yes, I hated some of them with a passion), and I adored that the previous book’s MCs had great cameos. I’m very hopeful that this will not be the last book in the series!

I’ve received this book from the author via BookSirens, and this is my honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ash does it again with Adrian and Nico's story. It hooked me from the very beginning, the characters are complex and deal with trauma and mental health issues (check your content warnings) but the healing and the love in the book will warm your heart and have you rooting for this couple from start to finish! Dare I say, it's even better than the first book of this series 😬😬 please read if you love a well written MM sports romance, with hurt/ comfort elements and hot af spice... you'll feel it all in this one!
Thanks for letting me have it early Ash! Can't wait for everyone to meet and fall in love with, the prince and the punk 🩷💛

[Aelin Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. I was struggling to eyeball read it because of work but this gave me Heated Rivalry vibes but making it figure skating. We have Nico seen as the golden prince of figure skating. He’s got the ancestry, the training, and the finesse to get gold at the next Olympics. Then we have Adrian who is more aggressive on the ice. He knows who he is and is unashamed to be different. Has the track record and confidence to get gold at the next Olympics. In the background, we have two men broken by familial and public expectations. The tension between was so good. Having their relationship blossom was amazing too. “Fall seven times, get up eight” is my new mantra.

[Holly Deacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me Arc read this amazing book!
Finally Nico gets his book and happy ending!
During About To Bloom, we find out hes been having some problems sleeping so he takes one to many sleeping pills and ends up in hospital. About to Fall is the continuation and how Nico gets back into training after his time away from skating for rehab.
He's forced to train with his rival Adrian after he moves and trains under Nicos coach.
This story follows Nicos healing journey and how Adrian helps him recover.
10/10 would recommend!

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Ash Jackson.
I think you should read the first book in the series and then this one, as Theo from the first book does show up here.
Please make sure to read the trigger warnings, as mental health issues play a big part in this book, too.
I loved that Adrian allowed Nico to be himself and that once he could, Nico realized, who and what he wanted to be.
The development of both characters is great and the while I was a little frustrated with the ending(it was good, but too open ended for my liking) it does actually fit the story.
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.

[Sarah Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great read Adrian is my kind of character sassy uncompromising unapologetically himself and does not care what anybody else thinks whereas Nico is terrified of letting people down obsessed with what people think of him and way too highly strung and if anybody needed someone to ruffle their feathers it’s Nico and Adrian is so the right person to do it honestly everytime he stood up for Nico I cheered and the way he lets Nico be himself with him warms your heart Adrian gives Nico the guts courage and love to do what’s best for him and not everybody else and makes Nico the best version of himself as dies Nico for Adrian the player who never wanted a relationship can I just say Christmas dinner with nicos family one of the funniest but happiest things I’ve read in a while one tiny tiny complaint not finding out what happens at olympics properly but like I said tiny complaint I love Adrian and Nico thank you for letting me arc read it already rec it to my friends

[Una Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet read.

Two guys struggling with life, the prince and the rebel, and they are just so precious. Both struggles with mental health in completely different ways. Love their journey and their chemistry, just live love love!!!

Read this if you want

- great characters

- mm

- a journey of self discovery

- plot over smut

And that ending, bittersweet in a way, but so perfect!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Calliyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fall seven times, get up eight". Had to be one of my favorite lines in the book.

Nico and Adrian were perfect. I had the opportunity to read this arc and this was an easy 5 stars read.

This book completely exceeded my expectations. It was emotional, beautifully written and gave Adrian and Nico a journey worth fighting for. Their journey, growth, and unwavering love for each other made me fall in love with this book and characters.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great story! The chemistry between Nico and Adrain was incredible.
The back and forth needling that shows its more than just animosity between these two, it's something more.
When they give in to each other, it was exquisite! The gentleness they each showed each other, the way they could let down their guard and just be themselves without having to perform, it felt cathartic for both of them.
And I got enough back story about Theo and Nico without having to read the first book to know what went down.

Loved, loved, loved it!

I received an ARC from Book Sirens for my honest review.